Computers, such as personal computers, and a wide variety of video game systems, such as the NINTENDO.RTM. game system and the hand-held, portable GAME BOY.RTM. system (GAME BOY and NINTENDO are registered trademarks of Nintendo of America, Inc.) are adapted to receive computer and video game cartridges within a program cartridge receptacle. Generally, the cartridge comprises a printed circuit board enclosed within a housing, the housing adapted to fit within the cartridge receptacle. For example, in the NINTENDO.RTM. video game system, the typically cartridge is inserted within the cartridge receptacle and then pushed downwardly by the user to lock the cartridge in place, and then cartridge after use is released by downward pressure to spring into an upward position, while in the portable GAME BOY.RTM. the cartridge may merely just be inserted within the cartridge receptacle. The printed circuit boards of the cartridges employed are electrically connected to the electronic system of a computer or video game system when the cartridge is inserted in the cartridge receptacle.
The electrical contacts within the computer or video game systems often acquire dust, dirt, oils and oxidation and other debris detrimental to the efficient operation of the electrical contacts from the frequent use of the cartridges into the cartridge receptacle. Such debris adversely effects the electrical surface performance of the computer or video game system, so that the efficient and frequent cleaning of the electrical contacts is a desirable procedure.
Generally, the employment of alcohol or other solvents via swab-type methods or by the employment of hand-held cleaning, polishing or burnishing tools is awkward and not easily accomplished by users.
A computer and video game cleaning cartridge has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,425, issued Aug. 28, 1990 in which a cleaning cartridge is inserted into a receptacle and burnishing material at one end of a planar board provides for the cleaning of the electrical contacts of the connector block when the cartridge is inserted in place. Such a cleaning cartridge requires replacement of the entire cartridge when the burnishing material on the board has been used or deteriorated, and further, such cleaning cartridge immediately places the burnished materials into a cleaning position upon insertion of the cartridge into the cartridge receptacle.
It is desirable to provide for a new, inexpensive, flexible cleaning cartridge and method in which the cleaning cartridge in the cartridge receptacle may be placed in a non-cleaning or cleaning position by the user and by which the boards containing the polishing, cleaning or burnishing materials may be easily and readily replaced by the user without replacement of the entire cartridge and to provide other advantages.